I took Rocky on his usual late night potty break before bed, around my apartment building. The lights are out so it is VERY dark and I always have my mace just in case. Rocky usually picks up on the tension and is very alert.

He has his leg lifted on a tree when from between two parked cars, someone runs up flailing their arms and screaming "OH MY GOD!!!!!!!! ITS A GERMAN SHEPHERD! *more high pitched screaming*

I thought Rocky and I were going to poop ourselves, we were so shocked.

Rocky doesn't have good night vision and doesn't recognize my boyfriend or I until he can smell us or we speak So I said "SIT" in my firmest voice and stepped between him and what turned out to be a 10 year old girl.

I chastised her instantly, saying "Do not EVER run up to a strangers dog, especially at night! Where are your parents??" She points to her parents standing obliviously across the street, who don't even realize their kid is missing. I felt bad for chastising her and I said "I got my german shepherd because he protects me and scares away bad guys. If I let everyone pet him at night time then he will start wagging his tail when he sees people come up and a bad guy won't be scared away. Why don't you come back tomorrow in the day time and you can pet him and give him a treat?"

(Honestly, he just isn't comfortable with people petting him at night when he can't see them, but I thought the previous explanation was easier for the girl to understand)

The little girl said "OK" then RAN into the middle of the street back towards her parents, where a car slammed on its breaks and missed hitting her by about 10 feet. (too close in my opinion) I live in a college apartment complex where half the people are drinking and driving and most of the people are speeding through the parking lot.

What crappy parents. When she got back to where they were, her mom said "Oh, where did you go?"

I hope she remembers my stern voice telling her not to run up to strangers dogs in the future since she will obviously never hear this from her mom.